Trump seeks to give peace a chance
US president makes first visit to Israel
RIYADH: Having declared that finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict is “maybe not as difficult as people have thought”, US President Donald Trump makes his first visit to Israel with few concrete ideas of solving a problem that has vexed presidents for decades.
Mr Trump, fresh off two days in Saudi Arabia, flew to Jerusalem yesterday and his stay includes separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr Trump also planned to visit the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important key Jewish holy site.
While hosting Mr Abbas at the White House in March, Mr Trump boldly stated that achieving peace is “something that I think is, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years”.
“But we need two willing parties,” he continued. “We believe Israel is willing. We believe you’re willing. And if you both are willing, we’re going to make a deal.”
White House aides have tried to play down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Mr Trump’s stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive. Yet Mr Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State group with top Russian officials, without Israel’s permission.
Israel also has expressed concern about the US$110-billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia Mr Trump announced on Saturday in Riyadh. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant, called Saudi Arabia “a hostile country” and said the deal was “definitely something that should trouble us”.
Mr Trump has handed son-in-law Jared Kushner and longtime business lawyer Jason Greenblatt the assignment of charting the course toward a peace process. The White House-driven effort is a sharp shift from the practice of US previous administrations that typically gave secretaries of state those reins.
Mr Trump’s first overseas trip as president comes as the dynamics between the US and the region’s players are moving in unusual directions.
While Israeli officials cheered Mr Trump’s election, some are now wary of the tougher line he has taken on settlements: urging restraint but not calling for a full halt to construction.
Mr Mr Trump has also retreated from a campaign pledge to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other presidents who have made similar promises.
Palestinians, who viewed Mr Trump’s victory with some trepidation, are said to have been pleasantly surprised by Mr Trump’s openness during a recent meeting with Mr Abbas in Washington.
A senior official who was part of the Palestinian delegation said Mr Trump is planning to try to relaunch peace talks, with a goal of reaching an agreement within a year. The Trump administration rejected a request from the Palestinians to push for an Israeli settlement freeze, but promised to sort out the issue during peace negotiations, according to the official, who was not authorised to publicly discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.
And on the eve of Mr Trump’s visit, an Israeli official said Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet has approved confidence building measures with the Palestinians, including allowing building in a West Bank area.
The official briefed on Sunday’s meeting said the package includes building permits for Palestinians in Area C that has largely been off limits to Palestinian development until now. He spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal government announcement. He did not elaborate and it is not clear how big the plan is.
The last round of peace talks, led by then-President Barack Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, fell apart in 2014. One point of contention: the fate of east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. The area is home to sensitive religious sites, including the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.
Israel considers the entire city to be its capital, while the international community says the future of east Jerusalem, claimed by the Palestinians, must be resolved through negotiations. The Trump administration drew the ire of some Israelis this week when officials declined to state that the Western Wall was part of Israel, as has been US policy.
Israeli officials say they are largely in the dark about what ideas Mr Trump might present for peace or what concessions he may demand. And while Mr Netanyahu in the past has expressed support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, he has been vague about this goal since Mr Trump gained power.
Meanwhile, Palestinian activists are calling for a “Day of Rage” when Mr Trump visits the West Bank today. The demonstrations are meant to draw attention to a month-long hunger strike by hundreds of prisoners being held by Israel and to protest what many Palestinians say is unfair US support for Israel.
Mr Trump arrives after spending two days in the nation that is home to Islam’s holiest sites, having brokered the arms contract and business deals with Saudi officials while also trying to strengthen relations with several other Arab nations.
He also delivered a closely watched speech to the Muslim world in which he called for Middle East leaders to root out extremists at home, while casting the fight against terror as “good vs evil” rather than the West vs Islam.
In a pointed departure from his predecessor, Mr Trump all but promised he would not publicly admonish Mideast rulers for human rights violations and oppressive reigns.